Wednesday night at McCaskey for the final home game of the 2021 baseball season, the boys hosted Penn Manor. Before the game we did the usual Senior Night recognitions as Yordy Beltre, Greggory Bryson, A.J. De Los Santos, Kolby Esh, Xavian Padilla, Albert Rosario, Eliam Santana and Alex Vine were spotlighted as the Class of '21. An added part of the program was mention of the 2020 seniors who were deprived of their proper recognition thanks to what I (sarcastically) call The Prevailing Circumstances. At game time it was partly sunny and 63 degrees with winds out to left at seventeen MPH. This game started out as a disaster but ended as a classic, Penn Manor put five on the board in the top of the first inning. In the home third A.J. De Los Santos reached on a fielders choice and scored on Xavian Padilla's RBI single, in the fourth RayJay Marmolejos doubled and scored on Landis Fluck's base hit to cut the deficit to three. PM responded with a run in the fifth to go up 6-2, in the bottom half the game turned in stunning fashion. Consecutives hits by A.J., Xavian and Eliam Santana put a run on the board, another run scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-4. Albert Rosario reached on a fielders choice, Yordy Beltre singled and RayJay followed with a three-run moonshot over the wall in left-center to put JPM ahead 7-6. In the seventh Penn Manor had the tying run on second with one out, the batter hit a looping pop fly into shallow left-center. Alex Ruiz made the catch for the second out, his return throw to RayJay at second caught the runner off base for the game-ending double-play. A.J.started on the hill with Alex Vine earning the victory in relief. The club finishes its home schedule at 4-6, the overall record is 9-9 with two road games left to play. For me it marks five seasons on the PA since I started it in 2016 (it should be six but we all know the story), it's the third straight year I was able to work every game. In '16 I missed two of the eleven we had at home, the next year I was absent from three of ten and all the absences were because of professional commitments elsewhere. From 2018 on I've made all thirty although admittedly there were a few I should have missed, rainouts and makeup dates fortunately worked to my advantage. From what we're hearing the county Midget League is planning to play in the summer, the Lancaster Jr. Tornado plays its home games at McCaskey. I may work those games as my schedule permits. Take care, thanks for reading.
